Artificial hand.



J. FEKETE. ARTIFICIAL HAND.

APPLICATION FILED OCT; 9. 1916.

Patented J une 5, 1917.

2 SFEETS-SI-EET 2 J OSZEF FEKE'IE, 0F LINDEN, MICHIGAN.

ARTIFICIAL HAND.

eaaoes.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 5, 1917.

Application filed October 9, 1916. Serial No. 124,567.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josznr FEKETE, a. subject of the King of Hungary, residing at Linden, in the county of Genesee and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artificial Hands, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in artificial hand.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a hand member adapted to be operatively secured to the arm arranged for readily grasping and releasing articles upon bending the shoulder.

A further object of the device is the provision of a grasping member firmly attached to the stump of an arm and provided with connections with the upper arm as well as the body of the wearer whereby the device is normally inoperative when the arm is outstretched but is opened for grasping articles upon bending the elbow.

A still further object is the provision of an artificial hand member which is easy and inexpensive to manufacture and is serviceable as a partial substitute for the human hand.

In the drawing forming a part of this application and in which like designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device detached with the hand member in its normal closed position.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a portion of an arm with the device operatively arranged thereon, a portion of the device being omitted and the hand member shown in its operative open position.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken upon line- III-III of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a similar view taken upon line IV-IV of Fig. 2.

Broadly considered, the device consists of a pair of pliers lOrigidly mounted to a cufi 11 secured to the forearm 12 of the wearer, suitable connections being had between the said pliers and upper arm 13 whereby the pliers are opened upon bending the elbow as shown in Fig. 2, the pliers being normally closed as shown in Fig. 1 when the arm is held in a straight position.

The said pliers 10 consists of two aws 1-1 and 15 of any desirable form pivotally connected together at 16, the handle 17 of the jaw 15 which may be termed a fixed jaw being provided with a U-shaped shank 18, the opposite side portions 19 of which overlie the cuff 11 extending longitudinally there of, the cuff and side members 19 being socured together by rivets 20. It being understood that the persons hand has been removed and that the forearm 12 is in the nature of a stump upon which the cuif 11 is secured by' a suitable lacer 21, it will be seen that the pliers 10 are arranged in substantially the position for operating as a partial substitute for the missing hand. Opposite side plates 22 are pivoted as at 23 to the upper free ends of the side members 19, straps 24: being carried by the plates 22 for securing the plates to the upper arm 13. An anchoring member in the nature of a shoulder pad 25 is adjustably attached by means of a strap member 26 to the upper end of the forwardly positioned plate 22, the said pad being adapted to be secured upon the shoulder of the wearer by means of a suitable body strap 27.

The jaw 14 which may be termed the movable or swinging jaw has its handle 28 provided with a cross head 29 while the opposite ends of the cross head are operatively connected to the adj acently positioned plates 22 by means of connecting rods 30 pivoted to the said head and plates.

The operation of the invention will be understood from this detailed description thereof and the manner of attaching the device to the arm. When the arm is outstretched, the arrangement of the operating members of the device will be substantially as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing with the jaws of the pliers 1O closed. -Upon bending the elbow, the plates 22 will assume angular relations with respect to the side members 19 thereby forcing the connectors 30 downwardly, forcing the handle 28 away from the handle 17 and separating the jaws 14: and 15. Upon again straightening outthe arm, the side members 19 and plates 22 will return to their normal positions in substan tial longitudinal alinement moving the connectors 3O upwardly and closing the jaws of the pliers 10 upon any article that may have been placed therebetween. A serviceable member is provided serving as a partial substitute for an amputated hand, the device being readily attached *to and detached from the arm When desired.

What I claim as new is y- A hand member adaptedforoperative-attachment to an arm comprising a cuff removably secured to the forearm, a pair of pliers having one jaw thereof provided with :a U-shape'd handle 'member secured longi- 13 tudinally to the opposite sides of the said Copies of thisxpatent may be'ohtainedifor ing rods pivotally connected between the otherjztwof the pliers and the said plates and a shoulder and body carried anchoring means for the device adjustably secured to the free end of one of said plates.

In testim0ny whereof I afiix'my signature.

JOSZEF FEKETE.

five-cents each, by addressing the" .Gommission'erof Patents, Washington, D. G. 

